Back in episode 140 I talked about the different kinds of fat, saturated, unsaturated, trans fat and omegas. I said that in general, saturated fat is bad because its consumption leads to a higher risk of heart disease. But there is at least one exception. Coconut oil.
Turns out there are a number of benefits to the white waxy substance, some which may be very surprising.
Most saturated fats raise your LDL cholesterol. Remember L is low-value and H is high-value. This is what leads to heart disease. Coconut oil lowers LDL and increasess HDL cholesterol and can lower your risk of heart disease.
Although coconut oil is basically fat, it can help you lose weight. It does this by raising your metabolism, as medium-chain triglycerides (MCT’s) in the oil digest faster than sugar. One study found a reduction in waist size of 1.1 inches after four weeks of 1 ounce of coconut milk per day. And the participants did not exercise more or otherwise change their diets.
The most surprising use of coconut oil I have found is that it is used as a skin moisturizer. It makes sense that any kind of oil could be used that way, it’s just weird to think of a skin moisturizer to also be a food product. Coconut oil is high in vitamin E and is also an antioxidant. Apparently oxidation has a similar effect on skin to what it does to metal. Humans rust?
I mentioned MCT’s before. They beat sugar to the punch and provide quick energy, when fats usually provide energy storage and are metabolized slower. This also has a positive effect on the brain. Altzheimer’s disease blocks glucose uptake in the brain, denying it fuel. So in the same way that MCT’s block fat storage by being absorbed faster, coconut oil can improve brain function by providing a secondary fuel source for the brain.
The lauric acid in coconut oil has anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal properties. Coconut oil has been shown to improve digestion due to its anti-microbial qualities.
After learning these things I plan to get coconut oil back into my diet, probably by using it in my oatmeal. It has more calories than the smart balance I have been using. But I also found that the amount of steel-cut oats I was using was really too much for breakfast. So I’ll probably cut that serving size in half, which will bring it below what my quick-oats and smart balance have.
How are you going to use this information to improve your diet? Contact me on the web page, by commenting on youtube, or email me direct (mail@runningafever.com).
Reference:
https://www.medicaldaily.com/coconut-oil-uses-5-surprising-benefits-coconut-oil-your-health-310158
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